Congratulations on your engagement!
Did you know that 40% of engagements occur between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day every year, meaning it’s busy season for us in the office, working with new brides and helping them plan their big days. Another year is also on the books for Charleston being voted the #2 wedding destination city in the United States, so we’re seeing more and more brides who hope to make their Charleston wedding dream a reality. Along the way, we’ve developed some tips to help wedding planning go smoothly!
- Make sure you communicate well with your vendors! These people will be your lifeline throughout the planning process, and most especially on the day of your wedding. Trusting your vendors professional opinion is key – they live, eat and breathe events, so they have great insight of what will be incredible and what might be a waste of your budget.
- Be open about your budget. We have worked with clients with all sorts of budgets throughout our time in business, and we can definitely find a way to work with you on yours! We love finding the most important components of your day finding ways to incorporate those items into your day. Just be honest of what you can afford, and we’ll do everything we can do create your dream menu.
- There are many factors when comparing vendors, so bottom line might not be the only thing to compare. Years in business, credibility, personal business approach, and fresh ingredients are certainly extremely important aspects to consider when choosing your caterer; Frozen + reheated is not the same as fresh and made from scratch!
- While you may think planning a weekend trip to Charleston is a great idea to meet your vendors, keep in mind – we’re working on the weekends! Weekend availability – especially for tastings – are very far and few between given that we give priority to current clients on their big day. Just as we’d give the same courtesy to you on your wedding day, we will be onsite, executing the events day of and are unable to accommodate meetings and tastings.
- Event season comes in waves, but we fill in with meetings, tastings, and appointments during the slower seasons. Expect us to have a little slower turn around during limited office time during the months of April, May, and October, as well as during the holiday season. Vendors take time off of work too, so know that while we’re so excited to help you plan your day, we do have to give ourselves time to decompress!
- We love to have great relationships with our clients, and we will always advocate for your best interest and smoothest event possible. We hope that our relationship feels like a friendship rather than a business transaction, and working with sweet clients is what we love most about our jobs.
Working with B. Gourmet Catering is designed to be a stress-free experience using a full service catering company. We want every detail to be perfect for you, and we love making your event memorable!
Photos: Stephen Athoi
Planning: Bouquets and Bowties
